Betsy Floy Ross Sievers passed away on July 8, 2013 at the age of 76 in Coronado, California. She was born on December 27, 1936 to Gordon and Floy (Hayes) Ross in Berkeley, California. Betsy met the love her life Albert John Sievers at San Mateo Junior College when she was 18. Both she and her husband attended UC Berkeley where they graduated in 1958. The two were married February 6, 1959 in Berkeley, CA, and she worked as a teacher while her husband attended graduate school there. They settled in Ithaca, NY in 1962 and raised four children.

Betsy earned her Master’s degree in Education at SUNY Cortland in 1977, and often spoke of being inspired by the students she taught. She also volunteered her services to many organizations that helped others, such as Suicide Prevention, Challenge Industries, and the Red Cross. Betsy was patient, fun-loving, full of stories, and always ready for a laugh. In her spare time, she enjoyed playing piano, bird watching, collecting dolls and Native American artwork, and talking with her sister and her kids daily. She and her husband also travelled around the world together. Some of her longer stays were in: Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico; California; New Zealand; Japan; Germany; Soviet Union; and Azerbajan. But, her favorite places to visit were where her children and grandchildren lived, California, South Carolina, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

Betsy is survived by her husband, Albert John Sievers, and her four children: Karla Sievers McManus and her husband Don of Bedford, NH; John Sievers and his wife Heather of Lynnfield MA; Martha Rodgers and her husband Jim of San Diego, CA; Sylvia Sievers and her husband Justin Brent of Clinton, SC. She is survived by 6 grandchildren: Collin and Hannah McManus; Mia and Becca Sievers; Sienna and Jack Brent, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her sister, Charlene Ross Johnston of Ione, CA.

A celebration of Betsy’s life will be held in Ithaca, NY in the fall of 2013. Details will be published at a later date in the Ithaca Journal as well as here on this website. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, 34 Washington St., Suite 200, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481. Website: http://curealz.org/in-memory/betsy-sievers-0 Email: donate@curealz.org

To help us share our memories, please submit your favorite memory of Betsy on this website under the section entitled Tributes and Condolences. We are collecting stories and memories about Betsy to compile for a book for her kids and grandkids. Please submit a favorite memory here or email Sylvia at ssievers3@gmail.com and she will compile them. Thank you!

Tributes and Condolences

Betsy was a great friend to the graduate students / David And Marica Tanner (David was a graduate student with Al; Marcia worked in the Economics Dept. )
I remember fondly the dinners and "stand arounds" at Betsy's and Al's house during my 4 years at in Al's research group. I remember also that at the first one I mistook the time, so that Marcia and I appeared at their house 30 minutes befor...
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Professor Emeritus / LAURIE &. Phil Best (friends)
Greetings:
We first met Al and Betsy when we moved to Cornell in 1962, and have kept in touch with them for 50+ years, greatly enjoying the creative greeting cards that we looked forward to every year. We fondly remember the young Betsy as a warm, ...
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Professor Emeritus / Phil &. Laurie Best (friends)
Greetings; W

A Mother's Touch to the Graduate Experience / Robert Devaty (Former Graduate Student, Sievers Group )
I was saddened to learn of the passing of Betsy Sievers.As a graduate student in the Sievers research group, my familiarity with Betsy was largely based on the occasional parties and dinners held at the Sievers’ house, with Betsy as the g...
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childhood memories / Donna Saatman (friend)
The Sievers house was my childhood "home away from home". How strange it is to grasp that Mom Sievers has passed. I fondly recall many weekend days where Sylvia and I would loose ourselves for hours wrapped up in the epic journeys of our Breyer (mo...
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